Where does “testicles” come from?
Testicles comes from Latin testiculus, diminutive of testis, which derives from terstis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be firm.
testicles (English): plural of testicle
Ancestry of “testicles”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | testicle | The male sex and endocrine gland, found in some... |
| 2 | Latin | testiculus | a testicle; manliness |
| 3 | Latin | testis | witness; one who testifies or attests; testicle |
| 4 | Latin | terstis | — |
| 5 | Latin | trīstis | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tristh₂s | a third party standing, after the two parties to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |